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January 26, 2009
MELBOURNE, VICTORIA
R. NADAL/F. González
6-3, 6-2, 6-4
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. You're yet to lose a set. After today's match, how far from your top are you?
RAFAEL NADAL: You never know, no? I don't know. I am playing well. Happy for how I am playing for sure.
But, you know, I am playing well, but you never know if gonna be enough. So I hope continuing play like this, and later we will see, because all the matches are very, very difficult. Next match going to be very tough. I have to be ready for everything.
Q. Was today's performance your best one of the tournament so far?
RAFAEL NADAL: I play very well last night, too - two nights ago. So I think I played well all the matches. Only the second one a little bit worst. The rest I am very happy how I played. And today I think I played well. Very solid match from the baseline. Playing very good forehands, backhands. I am improving when the tournament is coming all the time.
Maybe the only thing today I can improve a little bit more for sure is the serve. Today I not a hundred percent happy with my serve. Wasn't very bad, but I think I was serving better the last matches.
Q. Have you ever played this well in Australia before? Do you think this is the best you've played in Australia?
RAFAEL NADAL: I don't know, no. I play very good match against Hewitt 2004, I think. 2005. I think I played a very good match here center court, five sets. Last year I did the semifinals.
Probably I am playing a little bit better than last year, I think. I am not saying I gonna be in the final or I gonna be in semifinals. I think the feeling is a little bit better. But in the end the important thing is the result, no?
Q. How difficult is the shadow that comes across the court?
RAFAEL NADAL: That's terrible. That's terrible, no? All the time was good, but when the shadow came in the third set, was very tough. Very, very difficult to see the ball. A lot of distraction.
Q. I know it's early in the year, but as the defending champion in Hamburg, are you going back in July?
RAFAEL NADAL: Well, we are the second week of the year. I don't know. I don't know.
Q. Was it difficult playing early?
RAFAEL NADAL: No, I played one day night, one day night, one day night, next day, day. For me doesn't matter. Happy for everything.
End of FastScripts
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